Broken Memories, Intertwined Hearts

Chapter 183

"Cause I've been there and done that with the whole drinking too much and wrecking my stomach thing, I'm just giving you a heads-up not to go down that road. Alright?" Ethan said earnestly.

"Aaron, you're not drinking either?" Noel asked, a bit miffed.

Aaron shook his head firmly. Ashley's school was a long way off so he couldn't afford to drink.

What if something happened? How would he ever explain it to the Meyer family?

He wouldn't let anything go wrong ever again.

Noel sighed inwardly. Back when Leila had just passed away, Aaron and Ethan were in pieces. Their relationship had shattered, and as their mutual friend, he was caught in the crossfire.

They kept dragging him out to drink, day and night. He was constantly stumbling home, drunk as a skunk. His family was so disgusted with him that they almost kicked him out multiple times.

He really gave it his all for them back then. Noel felt a lump in his throat. Why did he have to get stuck with these two? He thought, "Ethan, just a little won't hurt, especially if you don't mix. And Aaron, I'll book a designated driver for you and Ashley. No worries."

"Izzy really doesn't want me to drink." Ethan said, throwing up his hands helplessly. Habits sure were a bitch. He used to think alcohol was great, but now he couldn't care less.

Aaron was just as stubborn. Seeing that nobody was going to join him, Noel decided to drown his sorrows alone. Ashley happened to walk by and frowned at him, "You're acting really weird tonight. Why do you want them to drink so badly? Do you have some scheme in mind?”

Noel waved her off, “Beat it, kiddo! Don’t mess with your brother.”

Ashley eyed him warily, then said bluntly, “You’re frustrated because things aren’t going anywhere with Phoebe, so you’re trying to drink to gain some courage. You’re probably hoping something might happen between you two when you’re drunk.”

Noel immediately clamped a hand over Ashley’s mouth. He glanced nervously at Phoebe and only relaxed when he saw she was engrossed in conversation with Izzy.

He muttered to Ashley, “If you know, then you know, but why say it out loud?”

Ashley shook her head, “You guys are so childish.”

“Ashley, don’t discriminate against us because of our age.” Aaron couldn’t help but retort. Sure, she was young, but were they really that old? They certainly didn’t look like it.

Ashley shot back, "It's not discrimination; it's a fact. You guys are in your thirties."

"Ashley, you need to show some respect." Noel said.

Ashley grabbed two drinks and went over to Izzy and Phoebe.

"Do you think I want this? You have no idea how hard it is to win that woman over. I've been trying for months with no luck. You've all seen it. And she's still so cold to me." Noel said.

"It's only been a few months, don't rush it. Take it slow and build a relationship." Ethan advised.

"That won't work. What if she finds someone and gets married?" Noel was dead serious, not joking at all.

"Not everyone rushes into marriage." Ethan laughed; he and Izzy were a fluke. ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

"I didn't know you were going to pull a shotgun wedding either."

Noel grinned, "You guys need to give me some advice."

Aaron laughed bitterly, "You should ask Ethan. I'm the last person you want to learn from. You'll end up nowhere." Whether it was Leila or Izzy, he had the first chance but always screwed it up.

Ethan simply said, "There's no one-size-fits-all for this stuff. You have to figure it out on your own. I can't help you." Seeing that no one was willing to engage, Noel reluctantly dropped the subject.